The Color of Power
by Beware the Noble Heart
Summary: When hope seemed lost, they did not give up, because Ginny Weasley had a plan. With a heart full of a dark love, she would venture back and change everything, because nothing she did could make the future any worse than it was.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: It's not mine it belongs to JK Rowling Don't sue, because I'm fifteen and you won't get much money.

There are so few GWTR fics and I thought I would take a shot at one. I really love the pairing if it is played right and I hope you all agree with how I work with the characters. Don't complain, please when it becomes AU. The purpose of this story is fixing what went wrong in the very beginning as far back with these wars as JK takes us. I'm going to change a lot with this story, and I hope you like it.

Summary: When the war was lost by the order, when Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore were killed, when all hope seemed lost, they did not give up, because Ginevra Maria Weasley had a plan. With a candle in bloody hands and heart full of a dark love, she would venture back and change everything, because nothing she did could make the future any worse than it was.

Ginny took her place in the center of an ancient pentagram drawn in the dark sitting room. This was an ancient ritual, not used for thousands of years, since long before Hogwarts began. Every color present was meant to stand for something.

The pentagram was in the center of a dark black sitting room, flowing with black energy, which symbolized power, evil, and mystery. Ginny wore green robes to symbolize growth and harmony. Her hair wasmingled with a blue ribbonstanding for depth, stability, trust, truth, and confidence. She had yellow symbols painted on her face to stand for joy, happiness, and energy. The orange trimmings on her robes were to signify joy, creativity, and **success** most of all.

Ginny set the candle in the center and walked to her fellow order members, only Bill being her brother

"Do it," she ordered Snape, stopping in front of him. He raised a shaking fist and punched her in the right eye, then the nose. Everyone watched with tears in their eyes. Snape was the only one of them strong enough to do it and even he had tears in his eyes. Once Ginny's face was significantly battered and bruised, he stopped, giving her a sad look. She hadn't uttered a single protest as it was her idea in the first place.

To appeal to the young orphan who was significantly misused as a child Ginny, knowing him well through his diary, had to become what he was. She was already an orphan. All she needed was the abuse. She took the knife from Hermione and looked at it carefully. She used a quick stroke to cut her cheek, then shrugged the robes off her shoulders before cutting herself twice on her right shoulder. She grimaced against the pain, but Snape had given her a numbing potion that would keep most ofthe painat bay.

"When you get there, if you get the right time, crawl out of the alley, beside the Leaky Cauldronwhere you should appear, he'll be in the Leaky Cauldron, having a meeting with me about some of the monsters I have raised. Tom may not have been a good guy afterwards, but when I was a second year, and hein his sixth...before he became head boy, he was nothing if not a noble gentleman," Hagrid said. Ginny nodded, tightly. She opened the front of her robes to reveal the tight faded green tank top and the dull grey skirt that went just past her ankles.

"Go to Dumbledore. He's the transfiguration professor. Go the second you there. He'll provide for you. I know he will," Hagrid said, tearfully, as Ginny put the knife on the left side of her stomach and drew it quickly across, cutting the shirt as she sliced deeply into her skin. She placed her hands to it, dropping the knife and walked to the center of the pentagram.

The last color… was red, to symbolize war, power, strength, determination, and love. As the blood spilled over her fingers, Ginny dropped to her knees, the candle before her. She placed a handprint of blood on the opposite side of the candle, facing outwards. She then put one on each side, slightly behind her, forming an almost perfect equilateral triangle between the three bloody hands, within the pentagram.

Hermione, Hagrid, Bill, Snape, and the mute Remus (he had lost his voice in the final battle) took their positions on each point of the pentagon. They all joined hands around her. She picked up the candle and lit it with a whispered word. Everyone around her bowed their heads and began to chant. She bent her head low, holding the candle above her head as it glowed… the only light left in the room as all the other candles blew out.

Ginny closed her eyes, hoping it would work, begging it to work. Everything suddenly went black and the wind swirled around Ginny, until she felt her knees scrape on hard ground as she moved even slightly. There was no longer a candle in her hands, no longer anyone around her, and worst off, there was no longer a potion keeping the pain of the inflictions from her body. There was nothing… only pain, pain and determination. She had to get to the Leaky Cauldron… she had to.

There you go, that's how she got there. Now, review please and tell me if you like it. If you hate it, please just don't bother. I really am not in the mood for flames.


	2. Thomas Marvello Riddle

I have changed this bad I know. Tom Riddle was in fifth year, not seventh when he opened the chamber of secrets, I'm sorry for this mistake. I have just put the opening of the chamber of secrets in the same year as the dark wizard Grindelwald's defeat, so I'm going to have to change this. I think I'm going to have the chamber open in this story, just to stem any outcries of angry cannon-lovers. Sorry if this is a problem for some of you. I can't just be like, oh ya, Hagrid got the wrong year that Riddle opened the chamber, because then he wouldn't be a student in this story and he wouldn't like Tom. So I'm changing this. Got it… okay, to the story.

Ginny fought the pain hard, struggling to her feet, looking around her. The people walking around her were just a blur. She shrugged off the robes, and muttered a wand-less incinerating charm (she had had to leave her wand in her own time as part of her story that they had broken her wand and destroyed their books when they found out she was studying on her own.)

She stumbled to her feet, very dizzy and light-headed and toward the end of the alley. She made it to the sidewalk before falling to her knees. She stayed close to the shadows as people walked briskly past her.

A man tried to stop and help her but she pushed him away, forcing herself to her feet, hoping none of the muggles saw how bad she was bleeding and their morals kicked in. She saw the door, looming wonderfully ahead of her, and she stumbled towards it.

Once she put her hand on the door, the people who had been looking at her looked around confused. They couldn't see her. She summed up her energy and opened the door, falling, like a limp doll through and to the floor. She tried to get up and felt the bustle about her as people came to her aid.

One voice commanded them all to move, a voice that was painfully familiar. She felt herself lifted up and looked blearily up at the face of her rescuer, perfect it was him.

"Is she a witch?" another voice asked.

"Of course she is you dolt, how else could she have gotten through the wizarding barrier," the eloquent, annoyed voice said. She felt a table beneath her as she was laid down upon it.

"Who did this to you?" the voice said, softly in her ear.

"They-they did," Ginny forced out weakly.

"Were they muggles?" he continued. "Was it a spell or a knife?" he pressed.

"Knife… muggles," she uttered, before fading into darkness.

Hagrid sat, happily discussing the wonders of the Nymphs of the Dark Forest with the handsome Tom Riddle. Tom was the only one who listened to Hagrid, who seemed interested in the creatures he loved so much.

Tom sat back, casually, listening to the eager boy, four years his junior explaining the healing properties of a nymph's song. He wasn't much interested in what the boy had to say, but Hagrid was the only one of his "friends" who could have a polite conversation with him without jokingly calling him "My lord," or "Mr. Voldemort, sir." He imagined the many ways he would get them back if… no when, he stopped himself; yes when I become the most powerful wizard in the world I'll give those imbeciles what's coming to them. "When indeed," he mumbled, sipping his butterbeer as he listened to Hagrid.

"There is a green nymph in the forest, ye' see? Oi she's a beau'y tha' one. I 'eard 'er voice and followed it. She was a-singing to a werewolf, she was… calmin' 'im down is what she did," Hagrid said.

"Thirteen and you're already tracking werewolves in the forest are we Hagrid," Tom laughed at his friend, who blushed, shaking his shaggy hair out of his face. A few girls looked at Tom as he laughed and swooned, watching him longingly. Tom was used to this however, and just kept his attention on his friend.

"Did you find out who the werewolf was?" Tom asked. "I'll bet it's that putrid-smelling apothecary manager," he added, idly.

"Pro'ly is, Tom. Ye' ne'er know though. For all I knows you could be that werewolf," Hagrid smirked.

"Hardly Hagrid. Honestly, you know me better than that, my friend," Tom said. Hagrid beamed at being called Tom's friend. This was one of the times that Tom was reminded how very Gryffindor Hagrid truly was.

One of the reasons Hagrid had so few friends was his oafish, clumsy nature. Tom had no problem with this because his naturally graceful nature, easily evened out their relationship. Hagrid would trip over his own feet, while Tom would use some quick footwork to sidestep his monstrous friend and laughing good-naturedly at him while helping him up.

"Well, 's far as I've 'eard, the 'eadmaster's gonna let me take Care of Magical Creatures a year early, and drop potions. 'veryone thinks it's for the best, since las' year's accident," Hagrid said. He was of course referring to the incident where he blew up the entire potions classroom. No one was killed but many were badly injured, the potions professor included.

"I think I'll even feel safer without you in a potions classroom," Tom said, jokingly.

"You know Tom…" Hagrid didn't get to finish his sentence as the door slammed was pushed open and there was a thud, then a clamour of voices. Hagrid jumped to his feet, tipping over the table, but Tom caught and righted it, before walking briskly to the door, pushing past people.

"All of you, move now!" he shouted in a commanding voice, upon seeing the broken form of a young girl in ripped and torn clothes, fresh blood leaking from various wounds on her pale skin to the ground. Everyone leapt away at his order. He loved it when people listened to him.

Tom turned her over to see her green, unfocused eyes. Her flaming red hair was a stark comparison against her porcelain skin. He knelt beside her, and slid a hand under her knees and another behind her back, lifting her effortlessly from the ground. "Clear that table," he snapped. The innkeeper quickly waved his wand, clearing the table, watching him in awe.

"Is she a witch?" the innkeeper frowned.

"Of course she is, you dolt. How else could she have gotten threw the wizarding barriers," Tom snapped, on his last thread of patience with this crowd. He muttered a quick, dark chant and her right hand flashed brilliant blue for a millisecond, long enough for him to confirm that she was a witch, a pureblood witch to boot.

He set her gently on the table pulling out his wand. He brushed her hair from her eyes and looked into them, trying to force her to focus. "Who did this to you," he whispered, gently, as everyone in the room held their breaths.

"They-they did," the pale girl said, deliriously.

Tom wasn't stupid, so his next question wasn't who "they" were. She was obviously too disoriented to state that. Being practical, he asked, "Were they muggles? Was it a spell or a knife?"

"Knife," she got out, painfully. Tom clenched his hand around his wand in anger as he already knew the next word that was going to pass her lips, "Muggles."

He let out an angry growl as she slipped unconscious.

"Abscondoctos Velumus!" he stated, with a complicated wave of his wand. A magical blue curtain was constructed around the table, hovering about an inch off the ground. "Hagrid, get in here!" he ordered. Hagrid opened the curtain and stepped through at Tom's order.

"Get a Subsisto Cruor potion from the apothecary. Tell him it's for Tom Riddle," Tom ordered. "Give him this and he'll believe you," Tom said, pulling a chain with the Slytherin snake from around his neck and handing it to Hagrid, who ran off. He used a cutting charm to end her green shirt where the cut was drawn across her skin. He winced. It wasn't a pretty wound and the one across her cheek wasn't too nice either. The two on her shoulders looked as if they had been two quick chops at the shoulder, not deep, but probably painful.

He cast a spell to see if that was all that was wrong with her. There was bruising on her face that he healed with a flick of his wand. He ripped off a long strip of his robes and pressed it against her stomach wound which was pouring blood very heavily.

"Fucking muggles," he muttered, angrily.

She opened her eyes, and blinked several times, "Tom?" she asked blearily.

Tom froze. "How do you know my name?" he demanded.

"Tom," she whispered, distantly, before falling unconscious again. He frowned, no she couldn't have known his name. She must have been dreaming about someone with his name. It was a very common name.

Tom frowned, moving his hand towards her head to read her mind, but stopped. He'd deal with that later.

Tom concentrated on stopping the bleeding. Hagrid took that time to push past the curtains, holding the bottle of potion triumphantly.

"Dumbledore's coming," Hagrid said.

"Of course he is," Tom muttered. Wherever Tom was concerned, Dumbledore was sure to be watching nearby, making sure he didn't make a mistake that the old man could exploit. He scowled deeply and snatched the potion from Hagrid. He removed the cloth, dropping it aside.

"Evanescoe," he waved his wand at the wound, before uncapping the potion, careful to keep his wand tightly in his hand.

He poured the potion along the wound and it completely stopped the bleeding, leaving only the thin, but deep cut. He repeated the sequence on the cut on the side of her face and the two on her shoulder.

"Mr. Riddle, I don't believe you are a registered healer," Dumbledore said.

"I'm not," Tom spat, glaring at the man, who had suddenly appeared inside the make-shift hospital.

"Then step aside lad. I will take care of this," Dumbledore said.

Tom glared at him, but stepped slightly away from the girl's side.

"It was good work I'll grant you, however. You may want to, when deciding a career, choose a profession in medi-wizardry," Dumbledore complimented.

Tom didn't reply, watching Dumbledore closely as the man healed the girl's wounds, leaving only thin scars.

"Ah, much better," Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling happily as he looked on the girl's face, he placed his wand to the center of his forehead, stating, Enervate. She jerked awake, sitting up quickly, and nearly falling off the table, but Tom quickly caught and steadied her on her feet. She looked at him in shock. He returned her deer-in-the-headlights look with a very darkly curious one of his own.

Tom noticed she was shivering. He shrugged off his black cloak and dropped it over her shoulders. It was much too large and she looked much smaller beneath it.

"Hello, dear, a good day to be alive, is it not," Dumbledore said in a sickeningly cheerful voice. To Tom's surprise she threw her arms around the old wizard, holding tightly onto him, letting out a soft, childlike cry of, "Professor!"

"Well, it's nice to meet you too!" Dumbledore laughed. Tom rolled his eyes. "I believe you have quite a story to tell!"

Tom dropped the curtains and turned to leave. "Wait!" the little voice cried, distraught. Tom turned and found the girl hugging him tightly. "Thank you!" she whispered. Tom hesitantly hugged the girl back and saw a flash of light.

"Reporters already," he thought, rolling his eyes. Tom sighed releasing her and stepping back, awkwardly. "Dumbledore," he muttered. "I will speak with you later, Hagrid."

He glanced once more at the girl, who was hiding behind Hagrid, now, trying to hide from the cameras. Hagrid was a good foot and a half taller than her so he easily hid her from the cameras, his chubby face beaming at the fact there was a pretty girl hanging on his arm.

Tom inwardly chuckled at that thought. The thirteen-year-old half-giant, for Tom had no doubt that was what he was, had as little chance with a girl that pretty than Dumbledore did. Tom disappeared among the crowd, ignoring the pats on his back from congratulatory wizards and witches. Only as he slipped into Diagon Alley, did he realize that he hadn't gotten her name. "Damn," he muttered.

I hope this is all good. Please, if you see any mistakes, not spelling and such, but mistakes in timeline, feel free to complain. I really am sorry, but I forgot that the chamber was opened in '43 not '44.

Tina: OMG! I absolutely adore you. I'm shocked. You follow me to any pairing I even venture to follow! You are so awesome. Seriously! Thank you and I hope this very sketchy era doesn't mix you up. What do you think Grindelwald should be fighting for? I mean, Dumbledore beat him, sure and it was supposed to be what he was most famous for, but the cannon never goes into what Grindelwald really was fighting for. I doubt he was fighting just to rule the world… I mean that's unrealistic, but he had to have been fighting for something… I don't know what to do about him. He's the big bad in this era, so I can't just ignore him can I?

Rainbow: I'll think about that

Txgirl88: Review again please and if you have any suggestions they would be much appreciated. I'm mostly looking for suggestions about what to do with Grindelwald…

Ewa: Um… thanks… er… spock? Hehe. Jkjk. Thanks for reviewing.

Nasta1970: Thanks, I'm still in the process of thinking, but I rely on reviews to get through my stories so I put that chapter up. Thanks for your review!

Review!


	3. Dumbledore

Finally I know. It takes me forever to update. My bad.

Ginny watched Tom go with mixed feelings: relief that her plan had worked, and happiness that she had finally, for the first time seen what he looked like in person; there was also exasperation with herself for the stupid thing she had just done, hugging Dumbledore right in front of Tom. Tom hated Dumbledore. She knew that better than anyone.

Tom had long ago described how Dumbledore would follow him around like he was a criminal. She found out afterwards that he was a criminal, a horrible one at that, but her heart still ached for him.

Ginny didn't know how Dumbledore could have started treating Tom so horribly from day one. She thought that the story was rather one-sided. She had many times pondered that Dumbledore may have had a very good reason for treating Tom the way he did, but Ginny's dreams, which usually included Tom, reminded her of the horrible part of him the part that had taken over her mind when she was only eleven, and the one she knew was beneath that, the one she knew he was when he spoke to her about his childhood and she related hers. She knew when she had made this plan the both sides of him, but she loved the side she had met in the diary and she knew that if she used all she knew about him to her advantage, she could make him stop doing what was about to ruin his life.

Ginny felt a hand on her shoulder and she jumped, clutching the warm cloak closer to her, but a more serious face of Dumbledore met her. She reluctantly moved away from Hagrid, who was bravely telling the cameramen to leave her alone.

Dumbledore led her to the fireplace. "Transfiguration office, Hogwarts," he said, seriously, and she knew it wasn't just a statement. It was a command. He put a bit of floo powder in her hand and nudged her towards the fire. "Hagrid, would you like to join us for a cup of tea?" Dumbledore asked pleasantly. "Sure I would, professor!" Hagrid said, brightly. "I'll go first, shall I?" he asked, brightly, accepting some floo powder from the transfiguration professor. Hagrid squeezed into the fireplace and said, "Transfiguration Office, Hogwarts!" in a gruff voice.

Ginny followed, repeating his words and found herself spinning. She was spat out of the fireplace roughly, and nearly fell, but Hagrid caught her, steadying her.

"You have to be careful about Professor Dumbledore's fireplace. It's got a kick to it," Hagrid told her.

Ginny nodded and watched as the former-headmaster… no the future-headmaster walked calmly out of the fireplace, and walked to his desk, saying pleasantly, "Lemon drop?"

Ginny shook her head, unsteadily. "So, Miss…"

"Wesley," Ginny said. She had already come up with an alias before leaving. They had been careful to cover all parts of this move. "My name is Ginette Wesley." (Yes, to those who have read my story Look How the Hourglass Turns, it is the same alias. I couldn't help it. It's just so practical a fake name for her… it's so… Ginny.)

"A good name that is, strong, stable," the professor said, idly, before leaning forward over his desk from his seat to look at her. "Tell me, Miss Wesley what happened to you?"

Ginny took an envelope out of her pocket. They had been afraid someone might be present when she needed to explain the situation to Dumbledore, who, they decided, would be the only person to know who Ginette Wesley truly was.

Hagrid watched the exchange frowning.

"Ah, yes, I was aware you were a witch, Miss Wesley," Dumbledore said, as the letter instructed. "Your certificate of birth to a wizarding hospital was not needed for that."

Hagrid curiosity faded as his question was answered. He sat on Dumbledore's large Gryffindor-red couch, taking up most of it himself, while Ginny had placed herself in front of the professor's desk.

"Your story, dear," Dumbledore continued as the letter also instructed.

"I am from a muggle orphanage. I sold everything I had left from my mother and father and got enough money to buy a wand, years ago. I sneak away regularly to get books so that I could learn magic. I knew they threw away all my letters of acceptance from Hogwarts. I… they found me studying," Ginny cast her eyes down.

"Studying magic, you mean?" Albus said, eyes scanning the letter again as if he could not believe what it said there, explaining how Ginny was from a future where Tom Riddle had practically destroyed the wizarding world after once being defeated and had killed Dumbledore. It explained her plan and a bit of her background, but what was most important that he paid the most attention to was the part about a diary, a diary that had been able the ruin a girl's life. A diary created by Tom Riddle that had almost led to his first rebirth. How had that young man done such horrible things? Dumbledore didn't trust him, but to become worse than the Dark Lord Grindelwald?

"Yes, they were so angry. I… they, they're muggles you see and they don't-"

"I understand dear," Dumbledore said, gently, putting the parchment aside. He patted a hand that she had rested on his desk.

"I'm alive, though," Ginny said, proudly. "Three miles to the Leaky Cauldron and I made it," Ginny easily feigned tears by letting her mind linger on what she had really survived.

"Who was that boy?" Ginny asked, in a soft, questioning voice, timid and quiet, which was her nature so that was easily feigned.

"That was Thomas Riddle that was. He's a great man, great man," Hagrid said, in a choked up voice. He was so obviously buying her story, Ginny was glad to note, knowing he'd run straight to Tom and tell him the story.

"Thank him for me will you? I owe him my life," Ginny asked in a soft voice. Dumbledore frowned, she had not mentioned the part of the plan of what she was going to change. It dawned on him… she was going to attempt to seduce the smartest, most evil young man to come through Hogwarts to the light side…

"Oh dear, I've forgotten the tea. It will make you feel much more comfortable dear, I assure you. "Binny," Dumbledore said in a louder tone. A house elf popped up and Dumbledore began to instruct it quietly.

Ginny suddenly burst into tears, sobs racking through her body, surprising both of the people in the room. Without meaning to, Dumbledore had reminded her of Hermione and SPEW. Hermione, who had been alive when Ginny had left, was still lost to her now. She felt herself in Hagrid's clumsy embrace and was glad for it. He was kneeling at her side, hugging her where she sat in her chair.

When Ginny had finally calmed down, the house elf had left and come back and disappeared again, leaving a tray of tea and biscuits.

"Sorry, just thinking of a friend," Ginny said with a little hiccup.

"Of course," Dumbledore gave her a gentle smile.

Ginny watched Hagrid make his way towards the couch and frowned. "Hagrid, there's a chair."

"I won't fi' in tha'," Hagrid said, bashfully.

"Nonsense, let me see your wand," Ginny said, holding out her hand. Hagrid stood and handed it to her. She cast a spell on the chair, which didn't look to have changed at all.

"Sit on it… trust me," Ginny said. He hesitantly sat on the chair. It creaked slightly, but magically it was able to fit his frame.

Ginny handed Hagrid his wand with a small, sad smile. Dumbledore, with a smile on his face, placed a cup of steaming tea in front of each of them.

"So, Miss Wesley, you're planning on taking up at Hogwarts then? It's obvious you have the magical ability, having received a letter already," Dumbledore said.

"If… you'll have me. I mean… I don't have money or…" Ginny trailed off, meekly.

"Oh that can easily be dealt with, dear. Hogwarts does have a scholarship program for students unable to come up with their own money," Dumbledore said. "Do you know anything of your family? If I had to guess, I'd think you were a distant relative of the Weasleys," Dumbledore said with a smile.

"I'm sure it's a possibility sir," Ginny said. "I don't even know if my real parents were muggles or wizards, or one of each," Ginny told him, softly.

"You know of the Dark Lord Grindelwald I'm sure, though, correct?" Dumbledore asked.

"I have heard of him in the magical library I sneak away to," Ginny murmured. "I have only heard his name though, not much else."

"Miss Wesley, Grindelwald is the single greatest threat to the newly-established Ministry of Magic. He wants to bring down the government and segregate the muggle-borns and half-bloods to schools separate of purebloods. He kills Ministry Officials and anyone who opposes his ideas. He had connections everywhere, even in Hogwarts, I'm afraid, contacts I can do nothing about," Dumbledore explained. Ginny looked down.

"So… I might have to go to a different place?" Ginny asked.

"No, ye're a full-blooded wizard!" Hagrid informed her.

"How would you know that?" Ginny asked, surprised.

Hagrid smiled. "Tom made a spell and whenever 'e meets 'nyone 'e says it to be a'le to tell if they is a wizard or not. It also shows if they are muggle-born, half blood, or full-blooded wizard. When he said the spell, your wand hand glowed blue, the color for purebloods," Hagrid said. "Tom says it's his spell to be on his guard around anyone who might be working for Grindelwald."

"Indeed…" Albus said, darkly.

"He sounds so smart," Ginny said, faintly.

"'e is. Tom is a genius!" Hagrid said, beaming, proudly at having such a great young man as his friend. "'e's so great 'e is," Hagrid beamed.

"Well, my dear, we'd best get you registered for the new year at Hogwarts. Sixth year?" Albus asked, hintingly. Ginny nodded her head to him.

"You're in Tom's year!" Hagrid said excitedly. "What are you studying to be?"

"I have always wanted to be a healer," Ginny said, shyly.

"Sorted?" Albus asked, standing and walking to the sorting hat.

Ginny looked at the hat, reproachfully, knowing where it would want to put her, but she couldn't have that. She knew Tom and he was all right with being friends with a Gryffindor, but… no, it just wouldn't do.

Ginny stiffened as the hat was placed on her head. "Hello, another Wea-oh sorry, Wesley," The hat spoke directly into her mind. "My, my you're quite bent on this aren't you? Who wouldn't be with such a bleak future ahead? Tom Riddle, eh? You should be careful with that one," the hat told her.

"Can you please just sort me?" Ginny asked, exhaustedly.

"Fine, fine, not that you haven't heard this before I see. Yes, I see. You asked the be a Gryffindor," the hat said. "Ah yes, decisions really do make the person. You have acquired a special gift since we last met, haven't you?" the hat asked, a smile in his voice.

"I didn't ask for it," Ginny thought, testily.

"No, no, but you deserved it. You would have been a Slytherin, you know? That's what I wanted to make you. I can see your mind. You want to step out from the shadow of those brothers of yours, do you? It's a good thing your parents aren't even born yet, isn't it?" the hat told her, mentally, letting out a loud bark of a laugh.

"Slytherin, then?" Ginny thought to him.

"Your mind is very strong, bent on succeeding… most Slytherins are very strong-minded when it comes to the tasks set before them and there's a rebellious streak in you, not to mention that you've grown much more wary since we last met, or since we will meet," the hat corrected. "But then I see your loyalty, your honesty, your purity…" the hat said, reluctantly.

"You do like words that end in T-Y don't you?" Ginny muttered.

"I can't decide. It's a draw: Slytherin and Hufflepuff. I haven't had had such a difficult decision to make in three decades," the hat pondered. "Professor, she is a split," the hat spoke aloud.

The headmaster took the hat from Ginny's head placing it on its shelf. "Between what two houses?" the headmaster asked it.

"Hufflepuff and Slytherin, I can honestly say in all the millennia I have been in existence I haven't come across one who fit between those two," the hat stated.

"Thank you hat," Dumbledore said, pleasantly.

"Of course. Good luck with that one," the hat said, with a twisted smile on his grizzled seam.

"Sir, shouldn't the hat be in the Headmaster's office?" Ginny asked, as the professor seated himself.

"Why yes, actually, but the Headmaster allows me to keep it in my office. I have quite a few wonderful conversations with the Sorting hat," the headmaster said.

"I 'ave to go, headmaster. It was nice meeting you, Miss Ginette," Hagrid said.

"Call me Ginny-Gin," Ginny corrected. Ginny didn't want to be called by the name all her fallen comrades had called her. She was starting a new life. Why not a new nickname to start that, even if it wasn't much of a change...

"A' 'ight then. I'll see ya Gin!" Hagrid said, cheerily, walking to the fireplace. He nodded to the transfiguration professor, disappearing into the green flames.

"1999?" Dumbledore's questioning voice brought her eyes away from the fireplace and she nodded, resolving to explain her past one more time before it faded away, ceasing to exist forever if Ginny could help it.

Lady Lestrange: Ya, sh, but I did that accidental thing in one of my sshg fics, but don't tell. Ya, but Hermione wasn't really confused… so fifty percent right?

Damia: thank you, I hope that promise turns into somethin' better, because I'm really not good at t/g fics. I've tried a few, but ended up only putting this one up… oh well.

Tina: thanks, you helped a lot on the Grindelwald thing. Your idea gave me an idea. He's trying to segregate them, like they did in the early nineteen hundreds with blacks in America. You know different schools for muggle-borns, but not half bloods. I'll go into it more. Thank you so much. You are my inspiration!

Key of F Major: he's not really a bad guy, but he's going to do a fair few stupid things in my story, hehe.

Nasta: Really? I hadn't even thought about Hagrid teen stories being rare. I just kind of wrote him in there as I would have seen him at thirteen.

Txgrl: Nah, I don't really believe in the parallel between Hitler and Grindlewald, because that would most likely make him more terrifying than Voldemort and in the future they would mention him more on top of the fact that Voldemort was the biggest evil in a century not just half of one, but thank you for the suggestion

Chantal: Thanks bundles. Toodloo.


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